The present invention relates to operating room gowns, and more particularly to belt assemblies for such gowns.
Operating rooms gowns are generally made with an open back to prevent possible contamination to the sterile gown front, and are provided with various devices for closing the gown, such as a belt. According to a preferred procedure, after the surgeon or other user dons the gown, he grasps one end of the belt which is positioned for easy access to the surgeon's hand, while the other end of the belt is brought around the opposite side of the gown by another person in the operating room, such as a nurse. After being handed the other end of the belt, the surgeon ties the ends of the belt to close the gown. Since it is desirable that the nurse may handle the other belt end without requiring that her hands are sterile, the outer end of the other belt end is normally covered by a protective member to prevent contamination to the gown belt during handling. After the nurse hands the other belt end to the surgeon, the protective member is pulled off the belt by the nurse.
Although the procedure for placing the gown is satisfactory in theory, certain difficulties have been encountered during placement of the gown resulting from loose fitment of the protective member on the outer end of the belt. Accordingly, the protective member occasionally slides off the belt before the nurse has handed the belt end to the surgeon. If the free belt end falls to a position below the surgeon's waist, which is considered a non-sterile area of the gown, it is assumed that the belt end has become contaminated by contact with the lower part of the gown. Accordingly, the first gown must be removed, and the procedure must be started anew with a second sterile gown. Even if the belt end does not fall to a non-sterile location on the gown, the belt end is no longer protected from contamination by the protective member. Accordingly, the nurse must sterilize her hands in order to grasp the belt end, or the belt end must be grasped with a sterile instrument, such as a pair of forceps, to prevent contamination to the belt, resulting in inconvenience and wasted time to the operating team.